2000 NAPPA Awards for Children’s Music

Go gently into the night or jazz up your day with the sounds of this year's 1999 NAPPA music winners. Your CD player will be working overtime playing this eclectic mix of soothing melodies, multicultural music, a cappella songs and playful tunes. Be sure to get your ears on these albums!

Lullaby Category Mozart–before you were born Classical Cradle Pillow Full of Wishes Infant Category Goodmorning Guitar WombSong Serenades Baby Time Series/Play Time. Toddler Category Waltzing With Fireflies The Gift of Make-Believe Wiggles, Jiggles, & Giggles

Early Elementary Category Rhythm In My Shoes Celebrate Friends Car Tunes Upper Elementary Category The Days Gone By Doo-It-Doo-Wop Old Mr. Mackle Hackle

Reviews of 2000 NAPPA Award Winners

Lullaby Category

Mozart–before you were born. The liner notes included with this album say that the human ear is the first organ to develop inside the human embryo. And it's no wonder, when baby can look forward to listening to such beautiful, timeless music as these 17 classic compositions by the European genius. Twin Sisters Productions, "Growing Minds With Music" series; $8.99 cassette, $12.99 CD. Phone (800) 248-8946. Website at www.twinsisters.com.

Classical Cradle. This collection of lullabies is soothing, calming and comforting. If anything can make the experience of watching your newborn fall gently into a deep sleep even more enjoyable and rewarding, this CD is it. Classical Cradle; $12.99 CD. Phone (631) 968-8812. Website at www.classicalcradle.com.

Pillow Full of Wishes. This is the second installment of an all-original lullaby trilogy by noted performers and recording artists Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer. This beautifully constructed album of gentle, uplifting tunes is designed to gradually lead little ones to the land of zzz's. Rounder Records; $10.98 cassette, $15.98 CD. Phone (800) 768-6337. Website at www.rounder.com.

Infant Category

Goodmorning Guitar. Features the beautiful acoustic guitar work of renowned guitarist Ray Penney, Goodmorning enhances 15 classic and popular melodies for the tender ears of future music lovers. Applewild Recordings; $9.98 cassette, $14.98 CD. Phone (800) 443-4727. Website at www.goodnightguitar.com.

WombSong Serenades. Original, classic and updated nursery rhymes and childhood favorites make up this charming collection. Go on an imagination-filled journey with Itsy Bitsy Spiders, Twinkling Little Stars and Pretty Little Horses as just a few of your companions. Munchkin; $12.95 CD. Phone (818) 893-5000. Website at www.musicalsoup.com.

Baby Time Series/Play Time. If ears could eat, this album would be dessert. An aural tapestry of acoustic instruments, nature sounds and child's play generates an overall feeling of well-being and majesty. Peter Pan Records; $6.98 cassette, $9.98 CD. Phone (800) 272-4214. Website at www.peterpan.com.

Toddler Category

Waltzing With Fireflies. Elizabeth McMahon, along with talented musicians and a children's chorus, weaves a wondrous waltz for the ears. Listen to songs of silliness such as Discombobulated, Hopscotch Toodle-oo or Fiddle I Fee. Rosie Rhubarb Records; $10 cassette, $15 CD. Phone (607) 844-8734. Website at www.mrsmcpuppet.com.

The Gift of Make-Believe. Veteran singer/songwriter Ginger Sands lovingly puts classic 19th- and 20th-century literature and poetry selections to lush original melodies. Selections such as Wynken, Blynken & Nod, The Unicorn and The Land of Counterpane take on a whimsical, wonderful feel. Laughing Sun; $15.99 CD. Phone (615) 298-1122. Website at www.songs.com/make-believe.

Wiggles, Jiggles, & Giggles. Stephen Fite's feel-good, easy-rock collection of fun contains mostly original activity tunes, with Hand Jive and Herman the Worm thrown in for good measure. A nice gift for your favorite teacher. Melody House; $10.95 cassette, $14.95 CD. Phone (800) 234-9228.

Early Elementary Category

Rhythm In My Shoes. Jessica Harper presents an irresistible elixir of driving rhythms, clever lyrics and velvet vocals. Many of the songs have a playground feel that transcends time. Rounder Records; $10.98 cassette, $15.98 CD. Phone (800) 768-6337. Website at www.rounder.com.

Celebrate Friends. Some of the most talented children's musicians contributed to this compilation of songs about friends: Trout Fishing in America, Joanie Bartels, Peter Himmelman, Sugarbeats, Jessica Harper, Tom Chapin, Bill Jonas and producer Craig Taubman's own Craig ’n Co. Craig ’n Co.; $9.99 CD. Website at www.zanybrainy.com.

Car Tunes. The Sugar Beats take their music on the road with a trunk full of 13 retro pop road songs from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, including high-octane versions of such favorites as She Drives Me Crazy, Route 66 and Mustang Sally. Sugar Beats Entertainment; $9.98 cassette, $14.98 CD. Phone (800) BEATS21 (232-8721).

Upper Elementary Category

The Days Gone By. A prettier, more heartfelt album than Ted Jacob's The Days Gone By would be hard to find. What a wondrous way to capture the timeless poetry of Poe, Longfellow, Dickinson and others with pristine music and song. Music For Little People; $9.98 cassette, $15.98 CD. Phone (800) 409-2457. Website at www.mflp.com.

Doo-It-Doo-Wop. To borrow a thought from one of the classics on this collection, Life Could Be a Dream if every new music release was as thoroughly enjoyable as this awesome a cappella treatment of 14 doo-wop delights. Street Gold Records; $9.95 cassette, $15.95 CD. Phone (800) 720-5152. Website at www.streetgold.com.

Old Mr. Mackle Hackle. This album by Gunnar Madsen, co-creator of the internationally acclaimed a capella group The Bobs, features great energy, clever lyrics, and most important, a sense of fun. Madsen's perception is just a tad skewed, but his musical chops are impeccable. Recorded at G’s Spot Studio; $15 CD. Phone (800) 711-3627. Website at www.gunnarspot.com.

The National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) program began in 1990 as a consumer awards program for children's media, including books, toys, music, videos, software, and storytelling/spoken word. Expert judges within each category review and select the best submissions to receive recognition as either Gold or Honors Award winners. Winners are announced annually prior to the holiday season.

Jim Chase has been a NAPPA judge for several years. He is an award-winning copywriter and former professional musician and songwriter.

John Wood is the music reviewer for eight regional parenting magazines. He co-created and performed more than 7,000 shows with the popular group J.P. Nightingale. Visit him on the Web at www.kidzmusic.com.

KidzMusic.com ©2008 E-mail address for kidzmusic.com is john@kidzmusic.com.